Drafted in the 22nd round (654th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2003.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
During the first two-thirds of the 2007 season, the big first baseman known as "KK" lived up to his frequent comparisons to Andres Galarraga. After going hitless in his first five games, Ka'aihue crushed Carolina League pitching to the tune of 22 homers by mid-July. By the time he received a promotion to Double-A, he easily led the CL in homers and slugging percentage (.583). Yet as productive as he was in high Class A, Ka'aihue struggled that much and more against Double-A pitchers. He hit just .127 with no homers and just one multihit game in 33 outings. Just as he had when he had a midseason promotion in 2006, he put excessive pressure on himself to live up to his reputation as an offensive force. When in a zone, he has an excellent eye that leads to an impressive number of walks. While his strikeout totals will reach triple digits, he's capable of making consistent hard contact and uses the entire field. He's a below-average runner but moves well for a big man and has developed into an above-average first baseman with soft hands and quick feet. Ka'aihue hails from a baseball family, as his father Kala Sr. reached Triple-A with the Pirates and his brother Kila is a first baseman in the Royals system. Kala Jr. will head back to Double-A to start 2008.
Kaaihue is part of a baseball family. Father Kala Sr. reached Triple-A in the Pirates system during the mid-1970s, and older brother Kila spent 2006 as a Double-A first baseman for the Royals. The Red Sox drafted Kala out of a Hawaii high school as a 22nd-round pick in 2003, but he opted to attend South Mountain (Ariz.) CC, out of where he signed with the Braves for $50,000 as a nondrafted free agent in 2005. Kaaihue had a strong pro debut and an even better first full season, leading the system in homers (28), RBIs (80) and slugging percentage (.550). He topped the South Atlantic League in homers, RBIs and walks during the first half of the season. Promoted to high Class A in late June, Kaaihue struggled initially before rediscovering his power stroke. The only negative came on Aug. 18, when an errant pitch broke his left wrist and ended his season. Kaaihue draws comparisons to Andres Galarraga, both for his power and for his 6-foot-2, 230-pound build. He doesn't have to get all of a pitch to drive it out of the yard. Though his 115 strikeouts led all Braves farmhands last year, he compensates by drawing a lot of walks. He'll need to improve his pitch recognition, however. He's a below-average runner but has made a nice conversion from a high school catcher to a steady first baseman with quick reflexes. He should open 2007 in Double-A. Kaaihue is one of the system's best power prospects, but he'll have to contend with Adam LaRoche, Scott Thorman and possibly Jarrod Saltalamacchia to play at first base for the Braves.
Best Tools List
Rated Best Defensive 1B in the Carolina League in 2007
Scouting Reports
During the first two-thirds of the 2007 season, the big first baseman known as "KK" lived up to his frequent comparisons to Andres Galarraga. After going hitless in his first five games, Ka'aihue crushed Carolina League pitching to the tune of 22 homers by mid-July. By the time he received a promotion to Double-A, he easily led the CL in homers and slugging percentage (.583). Yet as productive as he was in high Class A, Ka'aihue struggled that much and more against Double-A pitchers. He hit just .127 with no homers and just one multihit game in 33 outings. Just as he had when he had a midseason promotion in 2006, he put excessive pressure on himself to live up to his reputation as an offensive force. When in a zone, he has an excellent eye that leads to an impressive number of walks. While his strikeout totals will reach triple digits, he's capable of making consistent hard contact and uses the entire field. He's a below-average runner but moves well for a big man and has developed into an above-average first baseman with soft hands and quick feet. Ka'aihue hails from a baseball family, as his father Kala Sr. reached Triple-A with the Pirates and his brother Kila is a first baseman in the Royals system. Kala Jr. will head back to Double-A to start 2008.
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